How I got the shot: Life on the playing field

Adrin Snider, Daily Press

Percy Havin stands in the midst of a deluge of rain during the 3rd quarter of play at Ocean Lakes High School. The rain proved as little deterence with the Landstown High School team winning the matchup easily.

Percy Havin stands in the midst of a deluge of rain during the 3rd quarter of play at Ocean Lakes High School. The rain proved as little deterence with the Landstown High School team winning the matchup easily. (Adrin Snider, Daily Press)

ADRIN SNIDER

The photograph of Landstown High School's athlete Percy Harvin was taken last fall during a night football game at Ocean Lakes High School in Virginia Beach for the last of several assignments documenting the star athlete's life on and off the playing field.

Football is played in the elements. Heat, rain and sometimes snow are part of the game. Photojournalists capture the scene before them. I wanted to illustrate the difficult conditions the game was being played under. I kept the framing simple, surrounding the subject with the downpour of rain. But there is more to the photo than player and rain: The cheerleaders and fans in the background weren't any drier than the players. Showing them adds an interesting background and helps tell the story of the night.The most important technique used in taking this photograph was keeping my equipment functioning in the downpour. I protected my equipment with rain covers made especially for cameras and lenses. Even with the best protection, my equipment still got a little damp. Without it, my equipment would most likely have been destroyed.A telephoto lens is mandatory when shooting sports action. It allows the photographer to get close to the action. Planning ahead and knowing what shooting conditions will be are essential. Rain gear stashed in a small bag when skies are threatening, batteries fully charged for camera and flashes, and having cleared digital cards for storing new photographs are just a few things necessary for a successful shoot.